Anecdotally, I would need to be paid 3 times as much as I currently make to even consider moving to SF. And that 3 times is almost always outside (by 30%) the

Anecdotally, I would need to be paid 3 times as much as I currently make to even consider moving to SF. And that 3 times is almost always outside (by 30%) the salary range for a parallel position in SF. I have more than 10 years of experience developing software. Every time I get pinged by a recruiter I do some snooping about the salary for the position (Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc). 99% of the time, the salary range for the position would be a pay-cut (even with stock options). And no, I'm not overpaid based on my current position and where I live. I could easily leave and find another company that was willing to pay me the same salary within a 5 mile radius. Here are some additional metrics, my mortgage (owning a house in one of the most desirable areas in the city) is 1/6 of my monthly paycheck. My taxes are 10% of my monthly paycheck. I'm not saying any of this as a way to brag or show off. I'm pointing out that the quality of life I have would only drop off if I moved to a place like SF.